In this blog I will be giving my political opinions on both issues at home and abroad.
I will also focus on the issues that affect the people of Ipswich and in particular those who live in Rushmere Ward.
I will also try and give an insight to how I will be campaigning in Rushmere and Ipswich as we fight against the savage cuts imposed by this Tory Government

Sunday, 23 January 2011

Sidegate School Crossing Patrol- possible good news.

Some of you may have read in the local paper this weekend that Sidegate Primary School in Ipswich may be in line to have our School Crossing Patrol re-instated within the next two months. A local firm has come forward to offer sponsorship which will enable the County Council to lift their recruitment ban and recruit and train a new Road Crossing Patrol for Sidegate Lane.

It is great that a local firm has come forward but there in no doubt in my mind that the reason that our Tory Councilor has been so active in her efforts to recruit a local firm is due to the pressure put on the Tory run County Council by the efforts of the the staff and Governing body at Sidegate School and the campaign by parents, local residents , and the Ipswich Labour Party.

But this is just the start, the full details of this sponsorship deal needs to be known, and the campaign must carry on as the Tory run County Council still have plans to scrap all the other School Crossing Patrols in the county at the end of the summer term. If the County do not continue to fund the crossings, it will take more than one local firm to come forward to help fill the funding gap.

It is also good news to see that Mrs Terry now believes that a Crossing Patrol is needed in Sidegate Lane after she was quoted in the local paper before Christmas in stating that now there is no Crossing Patrol, motorists are driving more carefully. so maybe a Crossing Patrol was not needed.

Thank you again for all of you have signed our petition to get the County to re-instate the Crossing Patrol, but the campaign needs to continue till all the Crossing Patrols in Ipswich and Suffolk are safe.

p.s. Does anyone know any firms who want to sponsor Rosehill Library? If so contact the Tory run Suffolk County Council.

3 comments:

There is no doubt in your mind that the reason that your Tory Councillor has been so active in her efforts to recruit a local firm is due to the pressure put on the Tory run County Council by the efforts of the staff and Governing body at Sidegate School? As a governor of the school, did Councillor Judy Terry put pressure on herself?

The Governing Body wrote to the County and is still asking the County about the crossing, that decision was made at a Governors meeting. That meeting along with local opinion would have been enough to inform Cllr Terry what the public thought about the scrapping of the post, though just before Christmas, Cllr Terry was quoted in the paper, saying that drivers were driving with more care now there was no crossing patrol, suggesting that one was not needed. you will have to ask her why she chnaged her mind.

About Me

I am 55 and married with two children, I stood for the Labour Party in the Rushmere Ward in Ipswich at 2006 and 2007 local elections and then won it for Labour on May 1st 2008 with a majority of 13 before retaining the seat in 2012 with a majority of over 500. I retaining the seat again in 2016.
I live in the ward and I was born in Ipswich and both my parents (Annie and Peter Ross) were Labour councillors in Ipswich.
I went to Tower Ramparts School in the town (Yes, it was a school before it became a shopping centre!)
In 1978, I left Ipswich to join the army. I spent 24 years in the Royal Green Jackets, serving in Northern Ireland, Bosnia and Kosova.
Since leaving the army in 2002, I have worked in a local school.
I spent 2009 back with the army, 7 months in Sangin, Afghanistan as Operations Warrant Officer with 2 Rifles.
I am the campaign organisor in Rushmere
Sport is my other great interest and I was one of the founding members of the Ipswich Town Independent Supporters Trust.